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Historical Fiction August 2017
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Closed for Labor Day
The library will be closed on Sunday, September 3, and Monday, September 4, for the Labor Day holiday. Sunday Hours Resume September 10
The library will be open on Sundays from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm beginning on Sunday, September 10.
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Lilli de Jong: A Novel
by Janet Benton
Abandoned by her lover, rejected by her family, and disowned by her Germantown Quaker community, pregnant Lilli de Jong has nowhere to turn but a Philadelphia institution for unwed mothers. But Lilli's present difficulties are nothing compared to the hardships she'll face once she decides to keep her child instead of surrendering the infant. Although Lilli de Jong is set in the 1880s instead of the Great Depression, its depiction of the plight of unmarried pregnant women sent to charity hospitals may interest readers who enjoyed Barbara J. Taylor's similarly themed All Waiting is Long.
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The Lost History of Stars
by Dave Boling
The Venter family are Afrikaners, white settlers of Dutch ancestry living in South Africa's Transvaal. In 1900, British soldiers destroy their farm and send them to a concentration camp. Narrated by 13-year-old Lettie Venter, this moving novel describes the family's struggle to survive imprisonment during the Second Anglo-Boer War. For more character-driven fiction that examines this conflict, try Giles Foden's Ladysmith, Wilbur Smith's The Sound of Thunder, or Ingrid Winterbach's To Hell with Cronje.
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| The Essex Serpent: A Novel by Sarah PerryFreed from an unhappy marriage by her husband's death, Victorian widow Cora Seaborne settles in Colchester, where she pursues her interest in natural history by searching the Blackwater estuary for evidence of the Essex Serpent, a winged serpent dismissed as superstition by vicar Will Ransome, but greatly feared by the locals. Fans of the heady atmosphere and lush descriptions found in Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White should find much to enjoy in this layered narrative, which explores Victorian English society and culture through the experiences of its ensemble cast. |
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| The Alice Network: A Novel by Kate QuinnBy 1947, Charlotte "Charlie" St. Clair is desperate to find out what happened to her cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war. With her college career on hold due to an unplanned pregnancy, Charlie pursues her only lead: hard-drinking retired spy Eve Gardiner, who has her own private reasons for helping Charlie and whose story is revealed in flashbacks. Inspired by the exploits of a real-life World War I intelligence network, this novel sends its flawed, but sympathetic characters on a life-changing journey across post-WWII Europe as they investigate the past and contemplate their futures. |
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| Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York by Francis SpuffordLondoner Richard Smith arrives in New York in 1746, bearing a promissory note for 1000 pounds, which he presents to merchant Gregory Lovell at the countinghouse on Golden Hill Street. But what does he need with such a large sum of money? Charming Richard won't say, but that doesn't stop people from speculating wildly. Meanwhile, Richard finds plenty to occupy him in Manhattan, and chaos soon ensues in this spirited picaresque novel, which employs rich period detail to recreate pre-Revolutionary America. |
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| Grace: A Novel by Natashia DeónGrace is the name that Josey's mother, Naomi, would have given her, had she not been murdered by slave-catchers shortly after giving birth to the blonde, light-skinned child of her former owner. Yet not even death can keep Naomi from watching over her daughter, who grows up on an Alabama plantation and experiences the turmoil of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Narrated by Naomi, Grace utilizes flashbacks from Naomi's life to draw parallels between her experiences and that of her daughter in a moving novel that explores an unbreakable bond between parent and child. |
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| Stolen Beauty: A Novel by Laurie Lico AlbaneseWhen Adele Bloch-Bauer, the uncontested queen of fin-de-siècle Viennese society, commissions the talented but disreputable Gustav Klimt to paint her portrait, they form a scandalous connection. Gustav and Adele's story alternates with that of Adele's niece Maria, whose peaceful and prosperous life is shattered by Hitler's invasion of Austria. Readers interested in Kilmt's life and loves may enjoy Elizabeth Hickey's The Painted Kiss; those wanting to learn more about the portrait at the heart of this novel should check out Anne-Marie O'Connor's nonfiction The Lady in Gold. |
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| TransAtlantic: A Novel by Colum McCannSpanning 150 years and two continents, this family saga from National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann ties Frederick Douglass' 1845 journey to Ireland with the first trans-Atlantic flight made in 1919 by two British aviators and with the work of U.S. Senator George Mitchell on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. These great men and the events they're connected to are also linked to a servant girl named Lily, who in 1846 leaves Dublin for New York. A meditation on time, memory, freedom, and war, this complex novel is "an experience to savor" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Last Painting of Sara De Vos: A Novel by Dominic SmithParallel narratives unfold and eventually converge in this multi-layered novel, which explores the legacy of fictional 17th-century Dutch painter Sara de Vos. The artist's masterpiece, At the Edge of a Wood, is stolen from Manhattan attorney Marty de Groot's Upper East Side residence in 1957 and replaced with a skillfully executed forgery that remains a secret for decades -- until museum curator Ellie Shipley, who created the fake, is confronted by the two versions of the painting. Don't miss this richly detailed and complex meditation on art and identity by the author of Bright and Distant Shores. |
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Gentle Flow Yoga
Saturday, September 2, 12:15 pm
Library Meeting Room
Certified yoga instructor Lauralee Sikorski, who has taught over 1,000 hours of classes, will lead a free gentle flow yoga with an emphasis on deep breathing and stress relief. Bring your own mat, wear comfortable attire and come on an empty stomach.
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Friends of the Library Meeting
Wednesday, September 6, 2:00pm
Library Meeting Room
The Friends of the Library will have a meeting to discuss upcoming fund-raising events. Anyone interested is welcome to come and learn more about the group.
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Axis 360 eBooks
Find popular fiction, non-fiction, and picture e-books and e-audiobooks for children, teens, and adults! It's simple--just download the app on your device, search for "Michigan City Public Library", and log in with your library card number and PIN.
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NoveList Plus
Looking for more books by your favorite author, or want to find similar authors? On hold for the newest bestseller and need something to read while you wait? Not sure of the next book in the series you’re reading? Found a book you love and want more books like it? Then try NoveList Plus, the online readers’ resource that helps you uncover your next great read, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction. Log in with your library card number.
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Library Catalog
Look up books and other materials, place items on hold, and more.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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